How People Learn: Week One Summary

How People Learn: Week One Summary

• Learning includes its definition and the various types of changes it may involve
• Learning principles compared to Learning Theories, the importance of the latter is highlighted
• Features a conceptual framework of theories of learning and their evolution
• Brain Development and the Nervous System covers the evolution of the brain via MacLean’s Triune Brain.
• Central vs. Peripheral Nervous Systems are explored
• Focuses on the nature and function of neurons and synapses.
• Key neurological phenomena: synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning, myelination, sensitive/critical periods, plasticity, and experience-expectant and -dependent learning

Conceptual Framework: The Evolution of Learning Theories

• Learning theory evolved: Behaviorism to cognitivism to constructivism to connectivism/transhumanism
• Behaviorism is learning like an animal, cognitivism is like a machine, constructivism like a human, and connectivism/transhumanism like a cyborg

Cognitive Neuroscience and Behaviorism

• Cognitive Neuroscience notes
• Behaviorism centers on environment and British Empiricism
• Learning is a function of contingencies, reinforcers and punishers
• Focuses on Classical and Operant Conditioning

Cognitivism

• Person (Continental Rationalism)
• Learning as a function of innate structures and internal processes
• Information Processing Theories

Psychological Constructivism

• Psychological Constructivism notes
• Social Constructivism notes

Principles: Definitions & Examples

• A principle is "an established relationship between factors"
• Thorndike’s Principle states a behavior followed by a satisfying state is more likely to increase in frequency
• Thorndike’s Law of Effect states responses followed by satisfaction are strengthened
• Responses followed by discomfort are weakened

Theory Definition

• A theory is an "integrated statement of principles that attempts to explain a phenomenon and make predictions"
• Example: People learn what they pay attention to, and rewards increase learning
• Principles include two interacted things
• Theories combine more principles

Theory: Pros and Cons

• Pros: Provides a framework for understanding behavior and observations, aids organization of experiences, generates new research via assumptions or testable hypotheses
• Cons: No single theory explains everything and can bias knowledge construction and dissemination processes

Practice in Theory

• Understanding learning theories aids in understanding personal learning
• Provides strategies to enhance learning quality and motivation
• Guides educator effectiveness and contributes to personal teaching philosophy
• Theory seems to apply to things with common features, rather than benefiting individuals

Three Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand theories of learning, define key terms/principles, describe cognitive/social factors enhancing/hindering learning, improve personal learning

Definition of Learning

• “Any relatively permanent change in an organism that results from experience”

Learning as Change

• Learning as change

Brain Development: MacLean’s Triune Brain

• The Reptilian Brain (R-Complex) is part of the Hindbrain, Reptilian complex
• Paleo-Mammalian Brain stems from the Midbrain, limbic system
• Neo-Mammalian Brain - Forebrain, Neocortex

Reptilian, Paleo-Mammalian, and Neo-Mammalian Brain Comparison

• Reptilian Brain controls basic functions like breathing, heartbeat, and fight-or-flight responses, and physical instincts
• Paleo-Mammalian Brain is responsible for emotions, memory, and social bonding, also correlates memory quality with emotions/social relationships
• Neo-Mammalian Brain facilitates complex thinking, self-awareness, advanced communication, high cognition, and distinguishes humans

The First Brain

• Located at the center of the brain and consists of the oldest parts
• Governs basic needs, instincts, drives, and avoidances, including body temperature, hunger, and fight-flight responses

The Second Brain

• Wrapped around the R-Complex
• Consists of the next oldest parts of the brain, and feelings, memory, recall and emotional/hormonal control

The Third Brain

• Wrapped around the Second Brain
• Consists of newest brain parts: Frontal, Temporal, Parietal, and Occipital Lobes Home of language, problem-solving, complex social skills, and higher order cognitive processes

Neurons

• The average human brain has over 100 billion neurons, each connected to 10,000+ other cells, totaling 1,000 trillion connections
• Anatomical Features: Cell body (soma) containing nucleus, neurotransmitters for inter-neuron messages, dendrites for receiving messages, axon for transmitting information to other neurons

Synapse

• The synapse is the gap between two neurons that allows messages to transmit

Neurotransmitters

• Inhibitory neurotransmitters, like GABA and serotonin, "cool" the CNS
• Excitatory neurotransmitters, like dopamine and norepinephrine, "heat up" the CNS

Serotonin

• Lacking carbs can reduce serotonin, increasing anxiety

Factors Affecting Brain Development: Nature vs. Nurture

• Genes and Biology (Nature): Genes as "Discrete Units of Inheritance"
• Environment and Experience (Nurture): Enriched environments lead to heavier, more active brains with connections and humans need stimulating environments for optimal learning/development

Nuture

• Brain Plasticity enables reorganization via new neural connections throughout life
• Experience-expectant fine-tunes powers to adapt to conditions from conception
• Experience-dependent gives emergence of skills unique to cultures/social groups
• Nutrition: Critical during 10th-18th weeks of fetal development
• Malnutrition can impair neurotransmitter flow
• Teratogens: Foreign substances that abnormalities in developing fetuses, including lead, alcohol, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Synaptogenesis

• Skills aiding elaborate neural connections: time, attention, practice, emotional connections
• Synaptic Pruning: Weakening or degeneration of synaptic connections via lack of use

Critical or Sensitive Periods

• Critical Period: Window where experiences are necessary for cognition development
• Sensitive or Optimal Period: Window where the brain is sensitive to environmental influences

Myelin

• Myelin is a fatty substance that speeds up neural transmissions
• Myelin Development (age related myelination) means Hand-eye coordination is incomplete until four years, focusing attention until 10 years, and thinking/reasoning until late adolescence/early adulthood Demyelination relates to Neurodegenerative Autoimmune Diseases and Multiple Sclerosis

Alcohol and pollution

• Both have negative impact on brain development.

Parental Language and Child Development Correlation

• Increased parental language is correlated with higher social class children acquire later in life